Addis_Closing

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Sustainable intensification of crop-livestock systems to improve food security and farm income diversification in the Ethiopian highlands
Project Design Workshop
30 January - 2 February 2012, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Closing

This workshop provides an opportunity for a broad group of important stakeholders to both learn about the project plans and to share their views on expectations from and opportunities for synergies with the project (days 1 and 2) and for the core project team to finalize the project details (days 3 and 4).



Iain Wright:
  • I've learnt a lot about Africa, Ethiopia, CGIAR, sustainable intensification;
  • The workshop participants have been very committed and that shows the innovation;
  • We have some way to go: where is the integration?
  • There's a risk of falling back in terms of that integration aspect;
  • We have created a great framework but we need to move out of our comfort zone;
  • Great that we have an M&E framework but we need to think more about process documentation/monitoring;
  • We have identified some small gaps: small system thinking, ownership of the project (we have to work hard to engage a broader range of Ethiopians);
  • An exciting fact is that it's only one of 3 parts - how to connect the 3 parts, what can we learn from the other parts?
  • Perhaps why we agreed so much is that we didn't discuss dollars. Resource allocation should be determined by the outcomes that we want to achieve rather than dividing across activities;
  • We have a timeline for the next steps;
  • We have some tight deadlines e.g. for early wins by September: let's shape up the processes to get there;
  • There will be a team to redraft the concept note. This concept note will be shared with everyone. Mind: not a full-fledged proposal. The updated concept note will describe the research process;
  • We have a potential for a very innovative project - we have to deliver that potential.
  • When I joined it stroke me that there was so much potential for CG cooperation and I'm happy to see that happen.

Rob Bertram:
  • I really appreciated the exchange of ideas etc.
  • For Aid, this is a new way to work with the CG, CRSPs etc. and thank Jerry to work towards this; It's a new step for us to engage and empower creative thinking;
  • What we'll do here will inform CRP 5, other Aid programs etc.
  • On the context, the project acronym is actually really important - we're going to raise the level of visibility of this initiative and hope that our ideas will catch on with CAADP, AU agreement with CGIAR etc.
  • The environment in Africa is changing very rapidly. It's our work to catch that wave of innovations and integrate it in a way that can connect to and prosper from that environment;
  • Institutional environment: we have to prioritise this with Ethiopian partners and some partners here CRSPs, Wageningen University etc.
  • How might we be able to use ambassadors around us to raise the visibility of this project - based on solid products, outputs, outcomes.
  • Another opportunity is with the NGO community e.g. on utilization, sanitation...
  • Now the idea is to sustain happy engagement but we have Jerry and other colleagues and you all to carry this forward. We can get a shot at getting additional funding.
  • Thanks very much for Peter and Ewen and Shirley and everyone at ILRI for hosting us and Jerry.

Shirley Tarawali:
  • Thank you to Peter and Ewen because it was really worthwhile to prepare this workshop this way to go forward;
  • The more we can make knowledge travel, the more powerful we are;
  • Thank you all for joining in so well;
  • Thank you all travellers - especially US travellers - to learn about big development picture;
  • It's much more difficult to work on integration than business as usual. We need to keep at it;
  • I will continue to be engaged in this as much as I can.